Dust-guard for hose-couplings.



No. 693,7aa. Patented Feb. la, |902.

J, H. BnowN.

DUST GUARD FDR HOSE COUPLINGS.

(Application filed Sept. 10. 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet L (No Model.)

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Patented Feb. I8, |902. J. H. BRUWN.

DUST GUARD FOR HOSE COUPLINGS.

(Application filed Sept. 10. 1901.)

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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JOEL ll. BROVN, OF JUNCTION, ARIZONA TERRITORY.`

DUSTHG UARD FOR HOSEHCOU PLENGS.

SPECIFXGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,781, dated February 18, 1902.

Application filed September 10,1901. Serial No. 74,923- (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t 17mg/ concern:

Beit known that I, JOEL H. BROWN, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Junction, in the county of Yavapai and Territory of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dust-Guards for Hose-Cou plings; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a dust-guard for hose-couplings.

The impossibility of keeping an air-brake system clean is a matter which has impressed itself upon all students of the subject. A variety of opinions have been advanced as to how this could be accomplished, and quite a few suggestions have been put into practice with varying' results. In the early history of the brake it was realized that the unprotected hose when not in actual use or coupled up permitted a great deal of dirt to pass into the mechanism of the brake system. Means were therefore employed to prevent the passage of foreign matter into the hose-pipes in one way A and another until there evolved a plain con pling-hook attached to the ends of the cars, upon which the hose was hung when not coupled.

It is the object of the present invention to dispense with said coupling hooks, as the same have been found objectionable, for the reason that they do not properly exclude dust, dirt, and grit from the coupling-heads and do not fit all styles and makes of coupling-heads, and to provide a simple, durable, and coniparatively inexpensive dust-guard which may be easily and quickly attached to couplingheads now in use, which may be expeditiously opened and closed, and which when closed will effectually exclude dust, dirt, cinders, and other foreign matters likely to cut or otherwise injure the interior parts of the air-brake system when the hose-pipe couplings of said system are uncoupled.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of one of the heads of a hose-pipe coupling of an air-brake system, showing my improved guard hinged to the usual stop-pin carried by coupling-heads to serve as stops to hold the coupling parts with their gasket in contact under pressure induced by the connecting lugs or hooks to maintain an absolutely tight joint, the guard being shown in a position out of engagement with the gasket of the coupling-head. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the guard in engagement with the gasket. Fig. 3 is a rear View of the guard; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the guard and coupling-head, showing the guard in engagement with the gasket.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the hose-pipe couplinghead, which may be of any suitable design, that shown in the drawings, however, being the style used on the Westinghouse brakes, and 2 denotes the usual gasket for effecting an air-tight connection of one coupling-head with the other.

3 denotes the usual stop-pin, which serves as a stop to hold the coupling-head, with its gasket, in contact with the coactivn g couplinghead under pressure induced by the connecting lugs or hooks to maintain an absolutely air-tight joint.

4 denotes my improved guard, which consists of an arm 5, having an eye 6, through which the stop-pin extends and by means of which said arm is pivoted to said pin to swing transversely across the upper face of the coupling-heads. A shield 7 is connected to said arm and preferably consists of a springplate 8, one end of which is bowed, as shown at 9, and terminates in a vertical extension 10, which is riveted or otherwise secured to the hinged arm, and the other end of which projects in a horizontal plane and is adapted to engage and firmly hold itself in contact with the gasket to exclude dust, cinders, and other foreign matter. To prevent the free IOO above the lower end of said finger for a purpose hereinafter to appear.

In operation, assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. l and it be desired to close the opening in the coupling-head, the arm isl swung forward and draws the shield over and in engagement with the gasket in the coupling-head until the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 2, in which position it will be observed that the edges of the horizontal portion of the shield are in contact with the stop-shoulders l2 and 13, while the rear end is in contact with the lower end of the rearwardly-projecting finger, thus tightly forcing the shield into engagement with the gasket, as will be seen in Fig. 4, when the result of this tight fit or contact causes the shield to slightly bulge in its central portion or that part in contact with the gasket, thus making it absolutely impossible for any dirt, dust, or other foreign matters to enter the coupling-head and gain access to the Valve or other mechanism of the air-brake system.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood without `requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, `and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is-

1. In a dust-guard for hose-couplings, the combination with the coupling-head, of an arm pivotally secured thereto and provided with a rearwardly and downwardly projecting stop-finger, a spring shield-plate secured to said arm and having a horizontal portion adapted to engage the gasket of the couplinghead, the rear end of said shield being limited in its movement with respect to the arm by the said stop-finger, substantially as set forth.

2. In a dust-guard for hose-couplings, the combination with the coupling-head, of an arm pivoted to the stop-pin of said head and provided with a rearwardly and downwardly projecting stop-finger and with stop-shoulders in a plane above the lower end of the stop nger, and a shield consisting of a plate having a bowed laterally-projecting portion and a vertical flange, the latter of which is secured to the arm,and the horizontal portion of which is adapted to engage the stop shoulders and finger and be held in firm contact with the gasket of the coupling-head, the bowed portion of said plate serving to guide it over said gasket, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOEL H. BROWN.

Witnesses:

J. N. JOHNSON, J. W. AVERY. 

